Movie Review – Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013)
In honor of this weekend’s release of The Lego Movie, today we’re taking a look at last year’s direct-to-video film, Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite.
It’s no secret that Lego construction toys have been becoming increasingly popular since the early 1950s. What started as basic building blocks quickly expanded through a variety of themes including medieval castles, pirates, outer space, and city pieces. Many more themes have been added over the years from Star Wars to The Lord of the Rings to just about any popular film these days.
The Lego obsession further continued with the release of the Lego video games, from Lego Island and Lego Racers in the late 1990s to Lego Star Wars, Lego Indiana Jones, Lego Batman, Lego Harry Potter, Lego Lord of the Rings, and more.
Lego doesn’t stop there!
We cannot forget about the 90 Lego Stores, the six Legoland amusement parks, the thousands of different Lego-themed clothes and souvenirs, and two Lego animated television shows.
It was just a matter of time before we started seeing full-length Lego movies.
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite is heavily based on the Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes video game released back in June of 2012.
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013) – (c) Warner Premiere / Warner Bros. Pictures
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite begins as Batman (voiced by Troy Baker) and Superman (voiced by Travis Willingham) arrive at the LexCorp building. Both of them are confronted and then attacked by Lex Luthor (voiced by Clancy Brown). Lex uses a Kryptonite ray to attack Superman, and a large crate is dropped on Batman. It looks like both of the super heroes are defeated.
The film then goes back to two days ago.
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013) – (c) Warner Premiere / Warner Bros. Pictures
While attending the Man of the Year award ceremony, Lex Luthor is hoping to win to help boost his popularity as he’s currently running to become the next President of the United States. He expects to win but the award goes instead to Bruce Wayne. Bruce accepts the award and gives a short speech and mentions that every once in a while, everybody needs a helping hand.
The Joker (voiced by Christopher Corey Smith) and his goons crash the Man of the Year award ceremony. We see a bunch of villains including Catwoman, the Penguin, Two-Face, Riddler and Harley Quinn. They run around and cause chaos until Batman suddenly arrives and fights them all.
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013) – (c) Warner Premiere / Warner Bros. Pictures
The Joker gets away on a speedboat, but Robin (voiced by Charlie Schlatter) arrives in a helicopter and he and Batman give chase. They race across the water and make crash landings at Gotham Fun Land amusement park. Batman is ultimately able to catch the Joker with a net, and the police arrive and take the villain into custody.
Just after the Joker is captured and the police leave, Superman arrives at the amusement park. He offers to give Batman a hand, but the dark knight refuses. Perhaps if Superman was there a little earlier . . . Robin is slightly annoyed though the way that Batman is rude to Superman.
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013) – (c) Warner Premiere / Warner Bros. Pictures
Back at LexCorp, Lex Luthor is unhappy the way that he’s trailing so far behind in the presidential polls. He’s in last place by a long shot. But that can change with the Joker’s help. Lex knows that the Joker has a special spray that can control people’s minds. If that was used on the voters, then Lex can have them all vote for him and easily sweep him into the Oval Office. The only inconvenience is that the Joker and his gang are all being held in Arkham Asylum.
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013) – (c) Warner Premiere / Warner Bros. Pictures
Lex Luthor breaks into Arkham Asylum with the help of his De-Constructor weapon. The De-Constructor is capable of dismantling everything built with shiny, black building blocks, whether it’s a wall, or as he tempts Joker, Batman’s vehicles and weapons. All Lex Luthor wants in return in the Joker’s mind control gas. The Joker agrees as long as he can get his revenge against Batman. Lex and the Joker use the De-Constructor to free the Joker’s gang. He and Lex then fly away on Luthor’s flying machine before the guards can stop them.
The two villains go to Ace Chemical to steal some chemicals, but as we see, the Joker also sets a booby-trap for Batman.
At the Batcave, Batman receives an emergency alert from Gotham city. He and Robin jump into their vehicles and race into the city. They arrive at the entrance to Arkham Asylum where Commissioner Gordon informs them of the attack at the asylum. Batman and Robin go into the compound, and Batman quickly defeats a few of the Joker’s goons.
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013) – (c) Warner Premiere / Warner Bros. Pictures
Suddenly the main villains appear and confront Batman and Robin. There’s a brief standoff before a drilling machine pops up from underground. Several vehicles follow and the villains use them to escape from Arkham and the two heroes. Batman and Robin use their respective vehicles and give chase. They eventually stop the villains and they’re all arrested again by the police.
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013) – (c) Warner Premiere / Warner Bros. Pictures
Back at Arkham, Robin discovers that one of the structure’s black blocks is still shining with some sort of radiation. Batman is able to remote connect to the computer in the Batcave and analyze the radioactive block. The radiation is connected to a government project currently at LexCorp. That solves the mystery of who helped break the Joker out of Arkham. A police officer informs Gordon that there was a break in at Ace Chemicals, and Batman and Robin head out there to investigate it.
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013) – (c) Warner Premiere / Warner Bros. Pictures
The two of them arrive at Ace Chemicals, but there’s no sign of the Joker or Lex Luthor. They notice that there are a bunch of chemicals spilled on the floor, but it doesn’t seem like a threat. That is, until there’s a small explosion that starts a chain reaction of explosions through the chemical factory. Batman and Robin make it to the top of the factory, but they’re trapped. An explosion knocks them off the building. Just before they smack into the ground Superman saves them. Robin is grateful for Superman’s help, but Batman seems to be more annoyed by it.
Batman tells Robin that he cannot go around expecting Superman to show up and save the day. He needs to be responsible for keeping himself safe and out of trouble, and to not rely on others for help.
Batman uses his computer again to analyze the chemicals that Joker and Lex Luthor stole from the warehouse. The computer informs him that the chemicals can make a synthetic version of Kryptonite. As we know, Kryptonite is lethal to Superman. Robin wants to call Superman for help, but Batman refuses. He activates a tracking system and learns the location of Lex Luthor’s mobile lab.
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013) – (c) Warner Premiere / Warner Bros. Pictures
The mobile lab is quickly located and Batman breaks into the vehicle. He’s able to steal some of the synthetic Kryptonite before the Joker and Lex Luthor fight him. Batman is attacked and forced out of the lab. Before Batman can escape, the Joker uses Luthor’s De-Constructor weapon to attack and dismantle the Batmobile. Batman is forced to ride on Robin’s motorcycle back to the Batcave.
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013) – (c) Warner Premiere / Warner Bros. Pictures
At the Batcave, the computer analyzes the synthetic Kryptonite and reveals that it does NOT have any harmful effects on people from planet Krypton. In other words, the synthetic Kryptonite is harmless to Superman. So why was Lex Luthor after it? It doesn’t make any sense. Batman puts the synthetic Kryptonite into a vault with other Kryptonite, Kryptonite that he keeps in case Superman decides to become evil one day.
Suddenly Lex Luthor and the Joker break their way into the Batcave. They followed a homing beacon that was hidden inside of the fake Kryptonite. The Joker uses the De-Constructor to attack everything inside of the Batcave. Batman and Robin escape up an elevator while the Joker and Luthor plant explosives inside the Batcave. The villains steal the real Kryptonite just as the explosives begin to detonate. They escape and use Luthor’s flying machine to flee from Wayne Manor.
Batman and Robin are trapped in the elevator shaft, so Batman allows for Robin to call for Superman’s help. It takes a few moments until Superman arrives and saves Batman and Robin. Batman knows that election day is tomorrow and Lex Luthor is capable of doing anything with the Joker’s assistance. He realizes that he’s going to need Superman’s help if Luthor is going to be stopped.
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013) – (c) Warner Premiere / Warner Bros. Pictures
Like we saw in the beginning of the film, Batman and Superman arrive at LexCorp to meet with Lex Luthor. The building’s receptionist doesn’t believe their identities, but she notices that their names are on Luthor’s list of visitors. She sends them to the elevators to go meet with him. Sure enough, Luthor and the Joker are waiting inside of Luthor’s gigantic robot. Superman is attacked with a Kryptonite gas while Batman is tied up with rope and then has a large container dropped onto him. They’re down and Luthor and Joker fly away in the huge robot.
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013) – (c) Warner Premiere / Warner Bros. Pictures
Just when it looks like Superman and Batman are defeated, suddenly the heroes rise. They had switched costumes and played dead to learn Luthor’s true plans. The Kryptonite gas was harmless to Batman, and Superman easily survived having something heavy dropped on him. Both Batman and Superman change into their real costumes. Batman then uses Luthor’s flying machine, and he and Superman fly after Luthor and the Joker.
Both of the heroes reach the flying robot while it’s still in flight. Lex Luthor climbs onto the top of the robot and uses real Kryptonite to attack Superman. Batman is able to partially disable the robot, but Luthor fires a gun and gets Batman to jump off the side of the robot. The robot is damaged and has to make a crash landing in the city.
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013) – (c) Warner Premiere / Warner Bros. Pictures
Unfortunately, Superman has been injured by the Kryptonite, and his powers have greatly diminished. He and Batman have to take a bus to City Hall to fight against Lex Luthor.
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013) – (c) Warner Premiere / Warner Bros. Pictures
Meanwhile, the robot becomes operational again and begins spraying the gas onto the people. Lex Luthor separates himself and takes the stage at City Hall. He wants the Joker to spray the crowd with gas after he gives a speech. The Joker does so, but he informs Luthor that the gas only puts the people under his control, and not Luthor’s. Lex Luthor is furious when he sees the people begin voting for the Joker to be president, not himself.
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013) – (c) Warner Premiere / Warner Bros. Pictures
Batman and Superman arrive at City Hall and begin fighting the robot. Robin also arrives, and he and Batman use a car and have the robot chase them around the city. The robot does do while leaking fluid. This eventually forms the symbol of the Joker’s face which is large enough to be visible from space. The Justice League spots this sign and quickly assembles. Wonder Woman, the Flash, the Green Lantern and Cyborg quickly arrive to help Superman, Batman and Robin fight against Lex Luthor and the Joker.
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013) – (c) Warner Premiere / Warner Bros. Pictures
Knowing that he’s defeated, Lex Luthor decides to take his revenge against Wayne Tower. There’s a terrific battle as the Justice League fights and ultimately defeats Lex Luthor and Joker in their gigantic robot. The robot is finally destroyed and both Lex Luthor and the Joker arrested by the police.
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013) – (c) Warner Premiere / Warner Bros. Pictures
After the battle, Batman realizes that it wouldn’t have been possible to stop Luthor and the Joker without the help from his friends. They joke and tease him about needing their help to re-build that Batcave. The Green Lantern uses his power ring to form the Batman symbol. He makes the symbol grow to an incredible size to celebrate their victory.
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite ends as the Green Lantern’s victory sign is visible in outer space. Brainiac spots the green light and realizes that he has just found the Earth.
So is Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite a good movie?
As a whole, Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite is a decent little film despite its ridiculously long title. However, this animated film is heavily based on the Lego Batman 2 video game. Fans of the video game will probably be quite bored with this video as they could instead be playing the game and having more fun.
That being said, this video will be most appealing to A) Die hard super hero fans, and/or B) People who have NOT played Lego Batman 2.
The story for this film is simple but has its flaws and plot holes. Don’t look for much character development either, or that many scenes involving Superman or the Justice League. This is mainly a Batman and Robin versus Lex Luthor and the Joker film.
What helps make this film comical is that it takes place in the world of Lego. The characters, buildings and vehicles all look and behave like Lego objects. In one scene we see Robin quickly take apart his motorcycle and use the pieces to build a personal water craft.
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013) – movie trailer
It’s that Lego aspect that helps make Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite a decent film. It’s clearly not the best of the DC animated films, but it’s also not a bad movie. Just remember that this animated film is geared towards the kids.
A plus with the film is that you’ll hear quite a bit of the Batman theme from Danny Elfman and the Superman theme by John Williams.
